Bittensor’s Quantum-Resistant Wallets Are Now in Code

A couple of weeks ago, Bittensor uncovered plans to protect its wallets against future quantum attacks.

The roadmap included hash-based key protection, quantum-resistant signatures, automatic key rotation, and the option to combine classical and post-quantum keys in a multisig account.

Bittensor has now passed those proposals into code.

Bittensor’s wallet implementation supports three post-quantum signature schemes. Users can choose from ML-DSA-65, which is standardized by NIST (The National Institute of Standards and Technology), Falcon-512, and Falcon-1024.

Each offers a different balance of security level, signature size, and signing speed. The new signatures work with both coldkeys and hotkeys and cover TAO transfers, staking, un-staking, moving stake, setting validator weights, and registration.

The standout feature is optional automatic key rotation. After the chain records a transaction signed by a rotating wallet, the account switches to a fresh signing key and permanently retires the previous one.

The wallet keeps the same address, balance, stake, and recovery phrase. Users can choose whether to enable rotation when setting up a quantum-resistant wallet.

Multisig and proxy accounts can also use the new keys. To preserve quantum resistance, every valid approval path must require at least one quantum-resistant signature.

That lets users combine classical and post-quantum keys while ensuring a transaction always needs approval from a quantum-resistant key.

Existing wallets will continue to work, and switching is optional. Users who want the added protection can create a new account with compatible wallet software and use the existing transfer or coldkey-swap process to move funds or stake, as applicable.

Wallets without rotation require no registration deposit. Enabling rotation requires a one-time lock of 0.2 TAO, which stays locked permanently. Normal transaction fees apply to both options.

➛ Read More on the Implementation Here.